Harrison man found dead on side of road

Cold weather and alcohol are believed to have contributed to the death of a 59-year-old Harrison man last weekend.

Clare County Sheriff’s Department Deputies were called out around 2 p.m. Monday to investigate “a male slumped over on the ground” at 3190 North Clare Avenue in Hayes Township.

They found Michael Lynk dead beside the roadway in front of the Harrison VFW.

Sheriff John Wilson said Thursday that Lynk had bought beer at Steve’s Country Market and sat down outside to drink it where he was found. He said Lynk was not homeless, but lived near the airport and had just been released from jail a day or two before he died. “He had been in and out of jail for alcohol related offenses many times over the past several years,” Wilson said.

Undersheriff Dwayne Miedzianowski said Lynk had purchased the beer the evening before. He said the cause of death has not been determined yet, but, “We believe he died of exposure,” he added, “it looked like he may have fallen asleep and it was very cold that night.”